Henry Latimer’s Grocery

Mr. Henry Latimer was the first black person to own and operate a grocery store and service station, pictured below, on Northwest Street in Philadelphia. He operated this business for more than twenty years. He also owned and operated a restaurant called The Eatery on Northwest Street for several years. Mr. Latimer was the second black electrician in Philadelphia, as well as a licensed plumber and barber. He was known as the “fix-it man.”Mr. Latimer provided the building for the first Head Start school, located on Northwest Street, called Exhibit Hall. Until the four Head Start schools were funded, he provided groceries for the students and purchased the first school bus for the Head Start. He was the overseer of Donald Rest Cemetery for more than twenty years and had no problem in locating a plot where a person was buried. He was responsible for the name “Donald Rest”being placed on the east side of the cemetery.